Rotating lever position holding apparatus

Abstract

A spring includes a coil portion and first and second arms. The coil portion is supported around a support portion of a base member. The first arm includes a projecting portion that slides the engagement projecting portion in association with rotation of the rotating lever and presses the rotating lever in a direction in which the rotating lever abuts a first stopper portion when the rotating lever is in a first position and in which the rotating lever abuts a second stopper portion when the rotating lever is in a second position. The second arm abuts a spring stopper portion of the base member in a state where a load is exerted in a direction in which the coil portion is wound so that an inner circumferential surface of the coil portion is pressed against an outer circumferential surface of the support portion facing the engagement projecting portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A rotating lever position holding apparatus comprising:
 a base member comprising a first stopper portion and a second stopper portion; 
 a rotating lever, which is pivotally supported on the base member, and which is rotatable between a first position where the rotating lever is brought into abutment with the first stopper portion and a second position where the rotating lever is brought into abutment with the second stopper portion; and 
 a spring, which is supported on the base member, and which comprises a coil portion, a first arm and a second arm, wherein the first arm and the second arm extend tangentially from the coil portion, 
 wherein the rotating lever comprises an engagement projecting portion, 
 wherein the base member comprises:
 a support portion, which is projected from the base member, and which is set up in a direction in which the engagement projecting portion of the rotating lever approaches when the rotating lever rotates from the second position to the first position; and 
 a spring stopper portion, which is provided in a substantially intermediate position between a rotating center of the rotating lever and the support portion, and which is provided closer to the rotating center of the rotating lever than an arc-shaped locus of the engagement projecting portion, 
 
 wherein the coil portion is supported around the support portion, 
 wherein the first arm extends along a traveling locus of the engagement projecting portion along which the engagement projecting portion travels as the rotating lever rotates, 
 wherein the first arm comprises a projecting portion, along which the engagement projecting portion slides in association with rotation of the rotating lever, and which is configured to:
 press the rotating lever in a direction in which the rotating lever is brought into abutment with the first stopper portion when the rotating lever is situated in the first position; and 
 press the rotating lever in a direction in which the rotating lever is brought into abutment with the second stopper portion when the rotating lever is situated in the second position, and 
 
 wherein the second arm is brought into abutment with the spring stopper portion of the base member in such a state that a load is exerted in a direction in which the coil portion is wound so that an inner circumferential surface of the coil portion is pressed against an outer circumferential surface of a side of the support portion which faces the engagement projecting portion. 
 
     
     
       2. The rotating lever position holding apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the base member comprises an assembling stopper portion with which the first arm of the spring is brought into abutment in such a state that a load is exerted in the direction in which the coil portion is wound so as to prevent the spring from rotating around the support portion when the rotating lever is not assembled onto the base member.